Ribbon parachute



Nov; 30, 1948. Y 5. s. WEINIG K I 2,454,853'

RIBBON PARACHUTE l Fild DBG. 1o, 1947 V `v f Wto AVA Y INVENTR.

Patented Nov. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT forricr,4

RIBBoN rmaACHUTEl Friedrich S. vWeinig, Stuttgart-Moehringen, v Germany Applioation'December 10, 1947, Serial No. 790,752

(Grant-ea under the act of "March 3, 1883, as

13 Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 370

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to parachutes generally and more particularly to ribbon parachutes of the load sustaining ribbon types.

In ribbon parachutes of the load sustaining ribbon type in which -the ribbons extend across the top of the canopy at one side of the vent openings from points equally distributed around the lower edge of the skirt, a heavy accumulation of ribbon material occurs in the upper or apex portion of the canopy, particularly near the edge of the vent opening.

This excessive accumulation of overlapping vmaterial is not only wasted as 'far as eilciency of the parachute is concerned, but it reduces the permeability of the canopy in the upper .portion and unnecessarily increases the bulk and weight of the chute, making it more diflicult to assemble and pack, also causing greater inconvenience to the wearer of the chute, and in yaddition the cost :of manufacture of the chute, due to kthe incorporation of overlapping ribbon material, is greater.

One object of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate this excess ribbon material, thereby producing a, load sustaining ribbon parachute construction which is lighter in weight, easier to assemble, pack and wear, and more economical to manufacture.

A further vobject is the provision of a ribbon parachute of the load sustaining ribbon type in which the relative permeability throughout the canopy area is more kuniformly distributed, and in which the oscillation tendencies during descent are thereby reduced or eli-minated.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following'description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which ylike reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

Fig. l -is `a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation `oi the parachute incorporating my invention, the Alower portions of the shroud lines being broken away.

.abase or skirt portion v3, and aconventional air f' 2 vent 4 extending through the apex the descent axis of the parachute.

Circumferential adjoining sections, or load sustaining ribbon areas indicated at 5, E, l, and 8 are incorporated into the canopy and are disposed concentric to the apex vent ll, and to the vertical descent axis of the parachute, and also parallel to the lower edge of the base of the skirt portion 3. Each of the sections 5, 6 and 'l is composed of narrow strips of flexible load sustaining fabric or ribbon-like material which eX- tend upwardly in opposite oblique directions from points uniformly spaced around the lower edges of the sections. The ribbons in zone or section 5 which extend obliquely upward in one direction are indicated by the reference numeral 5R while the ribbons in section 5 which extend obliquely upward in the opposite direction are indicated by reference numerals 5L. The groups of ribbons 5R and -5L are respectively equally spaced and are of equal widths. The ribbons 5R are substantially parallel to each other and the ribbons 5L are parallel to each other. The ribconcentric to bons 5R and y'.xl.. cross each other obliquely between the upper and lower edges of the area 5 to form a lattice structure having rhombic shaped air permeability openings 5C between the ribbons.

The ribbon area in section 6 is similar to the ribbon area in section 5 except that the .ribbons may be narrower than those in area 5, or the angular crossing relations of the ribbons 6R, and 6L may be changed so as to afford an equal or greater relative angular relation therebetween, as compared to the angular relation between the ribbons 5R and -EL in the upper portion of the area 5, with the result that the size of the rhombic air permeability openings 6C approach nearer to the average size of the openings 5C. It is also contemplated that the spacing between the ribbons 6R, and the spacing between the ribbons 6L, may be greater than the spacing of the ribbons 5R `or 5L, to more nearly equalize the average ribbon spacing in the two sections of the parachute just mentioned.

In previous ribbon parachutes of the load sustaining ribbon type in which the ribbons inclined upwardly in opposite directions from points equally spaced around the lower edge of the skirt portion .of the canopy and across the top. at opposite sides .of the apex vent, the .ribbons all converged toward the top ofthe canopy and overlapped each other in the upper portion to cause an excess accumulation of overlapping ribbon material in this upper or apex portion.

in which the ribbons are relatively narrower `in the respective sections from the base of the canopy toward the'apex, or in which the'center spacing of the ribbons in the respective areas from the skirt to the apex is greater, or in which the relative angular relation between the oppositely inclined ribbons in the respective areas from the top of the canopy to the bottom is substantially equal, it is possible to maintain a substantially uniform air permeability between the ribbons throughout the entire canopy area. During the descent of my improved parachute, the size and area of the rhombic shaped openings between all of the crossing ribbons can be maintained more nearly uniform.

Ribbon parachutes of the above described types are essentially for high speed aircraft use and can be safely released at high speeds. The ribbons will flex outwardly between their crossing points to provide initial increased air permeability and positive deceleration without excessive opening shock or oscillation. As the parachute decelerates the ribbons return to their normal curvatures within the surface contour of the canopy, reducing the size of the rhombic shaped openings and the air turbulence caused by the passage of air through the openings during' descent further decreases the permeability so that the final descent rate approximates that of a conventional fabric parachute of substantially the same size.

The ribbons 'IR and 1L in the ribbon area or section 1 may also be narrower than the ribbons 6R or 6L and the spacing between the ribbons 6R and SL, particularly in the area 5 is substantially the same as the ribbon spacing in the area 1, the result being, that the size `and shape of the rhombic openings 1C is quite similar to the size and shape of the openings 5C` in the area 5 and the openings BC in the area 6.

If desired the ribbons in the area 8 may be arranged in the manner described relative to the' areas 5, 6 and 1, by again reducing the ribbon width, or changing the angularity and ribbon spacing to provide substantially equal size air permeability in this area. I have disclosed however, a different arrangement for the ribbons inl the top or apex area 8.` In this area like the lother areas the ribbons extend across the area but they are arranged with their center lines in radial planes passing through the apex or vertical descent axis of the parachute, the ribbons being indicated at BR and the air permeability openings between the ribbons at 8C. Appropriate radial spacing of the ribbons 8 provides the desired air escape area for the openings 8C.

Annular reinforcing bands are preferably provided, extending around the canopyv in parallel relation to each other between the ribbon zones 5, 6, l and 8, and around the lower skirt portion and the apex vent 4. These bands are indicated respectively at I0, II, I2, I3, and I4. The opposite ends of the ribbons 5R and 5L are secured to the bands I3 and I0. The ribbons 6R and 6L are secured at their extremities tothe bands vII) and I I. The ends of the ribbons IR and'IL are secured to the bands II and I2, While the 4 extremities of the ribbons 8R are secured to the band I2 and to the apex band I4.

The above arrangement eliminates the necessity of shroud or load suspension lines passing into, or over the canopy area. The shroud lines or shock cords are to be secured directly to the lower adjoining ends of the ribbons 5R and 5L, or connected at these points to the band I3. The ribbons in the areas 8, 1, 6 and 5 are therefore al1 load sustaining, and the opening shock, deceleration and load is transmitted from the canopy directly to the shroud lines and is distributed over the ribbon area through the ribbons. The shock cords may be connected to an annular bolt rope or inverted catenary cable (not shown) to which the suspended load to be lowered by the canopy is secured.

It is obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art and the details of the embodiment of my invention as disclosed in the drawings and described above without departing from the principal scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In -a ribbon parachute canopy of substantially hemispherical shape, a plurality of adjoining circumferential sections, each composedV of closely spaced strips of flexible ribbon-like material extending obliquely across each other in opposite directions from opposite edges of the sections to form a reticulated canopy of rhombic shaped air permeation openings distributed substantially uniformly throughout the sections.

2. In a ribbon parachute canopy of substantially hemispherical preformed shape, a plurality of adjoining circumferential sections composed of substantially uniformly spaced flexible ribbons extending across the sections from edge to edge throughout the section area to form a canopy having air permeation openings of substantially uniform size between the edges of the ribbons, throughout the canopy area.

3. In a ribbon parachute canopy of substantially hemispherical preformed shape, a plurality of adjoining circumferential sections each comtions each comprising flexible strips of ribbonlike material uniformly spaced throughout each section in crossing relation to each other, to form a multitude of rhombic shaped air permeation openings of substantially uniform area disposed substantially uniformly throughout each section.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the ribbons in the section nearer the skirt of the canopy are greater in width than the width of the ribbons in the sections nearer the apex.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the spacing of the ribbons in the section nearer the skirt of the canopy is substantially equal to the spacing of the ribbons in the sections of the canopy nearer to the apex.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the skirt is greater than the width of the ribbons in the section'nearer theapex and the spacing 5 of the ribbons in the section nearer the skirt is substantially equal to the spacing of the ribbons in the section nearer to the apex.

8.A In a ribbon parachute, a canopy of preformed substantially hemispherical shape having an 4apex and a skirt portion, and composed of a plurality of adjoining circumferential parallel sections composed of ilexible strips of ribbon-like material extending obliquely upward in opposite-A directions'in crossing relative to each other from points uniformly spaced around the lower edges of the sections to dispose the ribbons in crossing relation throughout each section to form rhombic shaped air perrneation openings between adjacent edges of adjacent ribbons and uniformly dis.-v

tributed throughout the sections, the angles between -the crossing ribbons being substantially uniform in all of the sections.

9. A parachute as claimed in claim 8 having the circumferential section at the apex portion of the canopy formed of ribbons extending radially therein from edge to edge of the section.

10. In a ribbon parachute, a canopy of preformed hemispherical shape having an apex and an annular skirt portion, composed of a plurality of annular adjoining parallel sections concentrically arranged around the apex of the canopy between the same and the annular skirt portion, said sections each comprising load sustaining ribbons extending from one edge of the section to the other edge in crossing relation to each other, said ribbons being similarly spaced in all of the sections to form air permeability openings between the edges of the ribbons of substantially uniformed area substantially throughout the area of the canopy.

11. A canopy as claimed in claim 10 in which the ribbons in at least one of the sections extend from edge to edge in radial planes relative to the apex center and the vertical axis of descent of the parachute.

12. In a ribbon parachute, a preformed canopy of substantially hemispherical shape having an apex and an annular skirt portion, composed of a plurality of adjoining concentrically arranged circumferentially load sustaining ribbon areas disposed with their edges parallel to the lower edge of the annular skirt portion, each area comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced flexible strips of ribbon-like material disposed in oppositely inclined relations to each other to form a lattice-like area of ribbons crossing each other obliquely forming a multitude of rhombic shaped air perrneation openings between the ribbons throughout the area, said ribbons in each of the successive areas from the skirt portion toward the apex being disposed in substantially similar angular relation to each other to dispose the angles of the crossing relations of the ribbons throughout the area in substantially similar angular relation.

13. A ribbon parachute having a preformed canopy of substantially hemispherical shape with an apex and an annular skirt portion, a plurality of adjoining concentrically arranged circumferentially load sustaining ribbon areas disposed with their edges parallel to the lower edge of the skirt portion, each area comprising flexible strips of substantially equally spaced ribbon-like material disposed in oppositely inclined relation to form a lattice-like area of ribbons crossing each other obliquely to form a multitude of rhombic shaped air perrneation openings therebetween throughout the area, said ribbons in each of the successive areas from the skirt portion toward the apex being progressively narrower and disposed in substantially similar angular relation to each other to dispose the angular of crossing relations of the ribbons throughout the canopy area in substantially similar angular crossing relations with the size of the rhombic shaped openings throughout the uniform.

several areas substantially FRIEDRICH S. WEINIG. No references cited. 

